Election 2015: Shameless David Cameron brings forward English votes for English laws plan

THE Prime Minister argued that fresh revenue-raising powers for Holyrood meant that only English MPs should vote on a new English income tax - but the move brought condemnation from the SNP and Labour.

DAVID Cameron sunk to a new low yesterday – playing the “Little Englander” card as he brought forward plans for an England-only income tax.

In an ill-judged attempt to lock Scottish MPs out of Westminster budget votes, the Tory leader argued that fresh revenue-raising powers for Holyrood meant that only English MPs should vote on a new English income tax.

The move came as Labour leader Ed Miliband slammed Cameron for being the least statesmanlike British Prime Minister of modern times.

Miliband’s attack came as Cameron descended into yet more Nat-bashing in a bid to bring wavering supporters back from voting for Ukip in England.

Meanwhile, Tory supporters yet again paraded in Nicola Sturgeon masks as they desperately tried to spook wavering English voters into backing them.

In a speech in Lincoln launching the Tories’ first “English” manifesto, Cameron said: “English MPs will be unable to vote on the income tax paid by people in Aberdeen and Edinburgh while Scottish MPs are able to vote on the tax you pay in Birmingham or Canterbury or Leeds.

“It is simply unfair. And with English votes for English laws, we will put it right.”

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David Cameron speaking at the launch of the Scottish Conservative election manifesto in Glasgow this month (Image: Getty)

The SNP said the move was at odds with the Smith Commission proposals for Scottish devolution.

The commission said income tax will remain a shared tax and both the UK and Scottish parliaments will share control of it.

SNP leader Sturgeon said she believed the new Tory policy would be a direct breach of the commission and insisted it showed the “growing desperation” of the Conservative campaign.

She said: “The problem is there’s a lot of issues characterised as English-only issues that are anything but – matters relating to the English health service for example. Decisions taken on that have a direct impact on Scotland’s budget.”

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has already described the plan as a “toxic” formula that would break the Union.

He said that Cameron was trying to build up resentment in England and in Scotland. But the PM insisted the Tories were not “English nationalists”.

He added: “If English MPs do not have the right to vote on health and education in Scotland, why should Scottish MPs have the right to determine what happens in English hospitals and English schools?”

Lib Dem election spokesman Brian Paddick said the Tories were stuck in a “them v us” political game. He added: “They are simply paying lip service to devolution.

“Their real plan is carve up the UK, scare the electorate and gerrymander votes.”

The row came as Tories paraded in London wearing Sturgeon masks with the messages “Labour & the SNP ... Britain in chaos” and “Dance to my tune, Ed” in yet another bid to scare voters down south into backing the Tories.

Meanwhile, Miliband accused Cameron of contributing to the Mediterranean migrant crisis by failing to stand by Libya.

In a withering verdict on the Prime Minister’s foreign policy, the Labour leader said Britain had deserted the African country after tyrant Colonel Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.

The breakdown of law and order that followed has seen it become the main point of departure for thousands of migrants fleeing to Europe.

Miliband said “some of the situation” was due to the “failure of post-conflict planning” after the UK-backed intervention. “Cameron was wrong to assume that Libya was a country whose institutions could simply be left to evolve and transform themselves,” he added.

“Britain could have played its part in ensuring the international community stood by the people of Libya in practice, rather than standing behind unfounded hopes of potential progress only in principle.”

His remarks in a speech in London came a day after funerals in Malta of 24 of the estimated 800 people killed on Sunday when a migrant boat capsized in the Med. Miliband also signalled Labour were ready to meet the Nato target for member states to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence.

Slamming proposed Tory cuts, he said: “They’d be catastrophic for the future of our armed forces. That is why the prospect of these Conservative cuts alarms our allies abroad and our military personnel here at home.”

The Tories twisted his comments on Libya to claim he was suggesting Cameron was directly responsible for the migrants’ deaths.

Cameron said his words were “ill-judged” while Environment Secretary Liz Truss said it was “absolutely offensive”.

But the Tory attack backfired when it was pointed out Cameron had admitted just two months ago that Britain had not done enough in Libya.